We believe
that the method of harvesting is as equally important as how it’s
produced. If we don’t treat the trees,
our harvest, with respect and view them as a sustainable, renewable
part of our operation, then we don’t have an operation
at all.

Back in 2004 we began to experiment
with stainless steel micro
spiles. These are the smallest spiles ever produced for taping
trees and
as far as we are concerned, the best and safest way to acquire
the sap from the maple tree. Not everyone agrees because when
you use
these spiles, they are tedious and must be cleaned properly after
usage to ensure they are completely sterile for re-taping. But,
we think the extra effort is worth it.

The micro spile is a great
innovation in the maple industry, allowing for less damage to the
trees we tap every year. We have
trees that
have been taped for over 100 years in our operation, and without
them, we wouldn’t have the sap to make maple syrup. Because
these spiles are made of stainless steel, we can clean them and
completely get rid of the bio-film that coats them during maple
season rendering
them sterile for re-use. And, we don’t fill up the landfills
with more plastic, as 95% of the spiles produced today are made
of plastic and must be thrown out after 3 seasons, or if you
are using
the new check valves from Leader, you only get one season out
of them.

The bio-film we are referring to
is a clotting agent the tree
produces to protect itself and help clot the hole that was drilled
to collect
the sap. This bio-film is very difficult to get rid of; regular
boiling, soap and even bleach doesn’t touch it. And it
adheres to plastic in such a way that it can never be removed.
That’s why stainless
steel is so nice; it can be ultrasonically cleaned to get rid
of all traces of the bio-film. After every sap season we get
out our
little ultrasonic cleaner and run batch after batch of the spiles
through, and then we bake them in the oven to make sure they
are dry and ready for the next season. We also clean the spiles
for other
producers who also use stainless steel spiles.

We use the micro
spiles with a vacuum system and the trees produce as much if
not more sap than the conventional 5/16 or 7/16 spiles.
Also, because the hole we drill is so much smaller and not
nearly as deep, the holes heal in a fraction of the time allowing
the
trees to thrive. The micro spiles are only 9/64 in diameter
and we drill
about an inch to inch and a half into the tree to tap them
in. Compare that to a 5/16 spile with a hole approximately 3 inches
deep. The
larger hole may take up to 1-3 years to heal as compared to
3-4
months healing time with the micro spile.

We have many customers
with hobby or small operations who use the micro spiles with their
buckets and drop lines and have
terrific success.

We currently do not have any micro
spiles for sale. However, we are in the process of designing and
developing
a new micro
spile
and
will have that info and the spiles available as soon as
possible (care to invest?).

Interestingly enough, numerous teaching institutions and
hobby producers have come on board with the micro spile technology and
love it! If you would like to see a demonstration and read info
regarding a school in Massachusetts, please click on the link below.